Apparatus for rolling rounds



Aug. 29', 1944. c. s. RAMSAY APPARATUS FOR ROLLING ROUNDS' '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1942 INVENTOR gA/ApLfsi/QAMsAy i /ad 5.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHAR; 55 A AMS/4 V his /l%/we y 1944. c. s. RAMSAY APPARATUS FOR ROLLING R OUNDS Filed March 24, 1942 1944- ,c. s. RA-MSAY I 2,357,058

' APPARATUS FOR RQLLING ROUNDS Filed March 24', 1942 I 3 Sheets+Sheet 5 INVENTOR CHA/QL 55? RAMs/1 I his Afiorweg Patented Aug. 29, 1944 APPARATUS FOR ROLLING ROUNDS Charles S. Ramsay, Gary, Ind.

Application March 24, 1942, Serial No. 436,053

5 Claims.

This invention relates to metal rolling, and more particularly to the rolling of bars and rods of small diameter. 7

In the production of metallic rounds of small diameter, the usual practice is to start with a metallic billet which is square in cross section,

this shape being obtained by suitable rolling or forging operations. This billet or bar of square cross section is usually reduced to a section of substantially circular cross-sectional area by passing it through a number of 2-high roll stands employing horizontal rolls, the final pass having in each roll a half-circular contour corresponding to the dimension specified for the round bar when it has had-the opportunity to become cold. In order to permit a. quick change from the rolling of a section of one size to that of another, each pair of horizontal rolls is provided with a plurality of passes of varying diameter.

7 In late years the specifications for rods and bars of circular cross section have become more exacting, allowing but very small tolerances, particularly in the case of so-called precision rounds. In emerging lfrom the final pass of the 2-high horizontal rolls earlier described, the cross section of the work piece becomes elliptical in shape, the short axis being vertical and the lon axis horizontal. Due to this condition, it has become customary to install a vertical roll stand after the final Z-highhorizontal roll stand, to "subject the sides of the workpiece to a slight horizontal pressure. I v This method of employing a vertical roll stand beyond the final 2-high horizontal roll stand has not been entirely satisfactory for the reason that ordinarily the housings for the final 2-high horizontal roll stand and the vertical roll stand are so constructed as to necessitate the rolls being pointed out in the claims, the following description and'the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative of one of the number of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a 2-high roll Y stand employing the apparatus of the present in- 2 way 12 and apair of longitudinally-extendingzontal 'pressureto the workpiece, the workpiece must enter the vertical roll stand from the horizontal roll stand in a perfectly straight manner; but due to the very slight ellipticity of the workpiece as it leaves the final horizontal rolls it is impossible to obtain trueguidan between the two stands, and the highly-heated orkpiece has a tendency to twist.

It is among the objects of the present invention to overcome the difficulties. earlier described and .to roll metallic rods and bars of small diameter in suchmanner as to enable their assuming a substantially true round.

The invention, then, comprises the featuresv ventiori. Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2, with some parts omitted.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 are'enlarged sectional views .illustrating details.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a horizontal roll housing having mounted for rotation therein the usual pair of horizontal rolls 3 which are provided between them with a plurality of passes 4 to accommodate the rolling of sections of various sizes.

Atop the horizontal roll housing 2 is the usual cap and screw-down, designated at 5 and 6 respectively,

As shown more clearly in Figure 2, a horizontal rest bar 9 is attached to the rear side of the horizontal roll housing 2.as by bolting, as shown 6: I0. This horizontal rest bar 9 is disposed slightly below the pass line of the horizontal rolls 3, and embodies a longitudinally-extending .key-

slots l3. Disposed for sliding movement along the horizontal rest bar 9 is a housing generally designated at 15 which has a downwardly-depending key portion i which seats in the longitudinally-extending keyway I2. Bolts l8 extend through the slots I3 and through the housing IS with their heads contacting with the bottom of th horizontal rest bar 9. The extended ends of these bolts l8 are threaded and project from the top of the housing is to receive nuts l9, whereby the said housing may be secured in any desired position along the horizontal rest bar 9. v The housing I5 is comprised of two independent halves each of which is provided with a vertically-disposed step bearing 2| and a bearing cap .22. Within-each of the step bearings 2| and its associated bearing cap 22 there is journaled a vertical roll 24 as shown more clearly in Figure 4. These vertical rolls 24 are disposed in almost contacting relation, and form between them a cylindrical pass, each roll embodying a semicylindrical groove 25. Disposed immediately below and immediately above the line of pass defined by the vertically-disposed rolls 24 is a guide member 25, whereby the section emerging from the rear side of the horizontal rolls 3 is properly guided into the pass deflned by the grooves 25 in the vertical rolls 24.

It is essential to the teachings of the present invention that the vertical rolls 24 be positioned very closely to the horizontal rolls 3, as otherwise the workpiece will twist in a transverse direction, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. This is for the reason that as the workpiece leaves the horizontal rolls it has an elliptical shape in the transverse section, with the short axis in a vertical plane and the long axis in a horizontal plane, all as before stated. Preferably the vertical rolls 24 are positioned so closely to the horizontal rolls 3 as to almost contact the latter.

The upper ends of the necks of the vertical rolls 24 are provided with the usual wobblers 25 over which there are fitted socket couplings 29,

each of which has secured thereto a flexible coupling 30 which may take the form of a flexible hose or other suitable instrumentality. To the upper end of each of the flexible couplings 35 there is connected a telescoping driving spindle 3|. These telescoping driving spindles 3| extend upwardly from the housing I5 in substantial parallelism, and are driven from above in a manner which will be later described.

A'horizontally-disposed sliding base 35 is secured to the cap 5 of the horizontal roll housing 2,, as by means of bolts 35. This sliding base 35 supports a horizontally-disposed slide 31, and has a pair of parallel inverted T-shaped slots 33. Bolts 39 are disposed with their heads in the inverted T-shaped slots 38, projectthrough the slide 31, and are provided on their screw-threaded .flexible couplings 30 described hereinbefore. At-

tached to the lower end of each of the flexible couplings 41 is a spindle 48 which telescopes within the spindles 3|.

Within the housing 45, and secured to the upper ends of the driving shafts 45, is a pair of The spur gears 50 which are geared together. upper end of one of the driving shafts 451s elongated as shown at 52, and has secured thereto a bevel gear 53. Disposed within the housing 45 is a pair of suitably journaled and aligned horizontal shafts, as shown at 54 and 55. The

shaft 54 lies immediately above and intersects the axis of the bevel gear 53, and has secured thereto a pinion gear 51 which meshes with the said bevel gear. This shaft 54 carries a housing member 59 which forms part of an overrun'ning clutch. The shaft 55 projects from the housing the shaft 55. This driving wheel 53 is provided with a number of axial parallel circular slots 55 within each of which there is fitted a correspondingly shaped portion of a pawl member 55. Each of these pawl members 55 is provided with a lateral extension 51 which projects slightly beyond the periphery of the driving wheel 53. The outer ends of the lateral extension 51 of the pawl members 55 are provided with cam surfaces 53. In order to permit the cam surfaces 58 to function in such manner that they will engage the inner hub surface provided by the assembled housing members 59 and 5|, the peripheral openings in the driving wheel 53 which communicate with the cylindrical slots 55 are beveled, as shown at 10. Disposed in th Opposite faces of the peripheral openings of the driving wheel 53 are recesses within which there is disposed a spring H and follower 12. The inside surfaces of the housing members 59 and 5| are provided with bearing elements 15 which may contact with the side faces of the pawl members 55.

From the foregoing brief description, it will be perceived that there is provided between the shaft 55 and the shaft 54 an overrunning clutch action.

The outer end of the shaft '55 projects from the housing 45 and through a coupling 15 is connected to the driving shaft of an electric motor 18 which is suitably secured to the slide 31.

It is essential to the teachings of the present invention that not only must the bar being rolled pass from the horizontal rolls 3 to the vertical rolls 24 in a straight'mannenbut the said vertical rolls must be so driven that their peripheral speed (-i. e., the speed at the contact point of the grooves 25 to the bar) is slightly lower than the speed of the bar itself as it is driven forward by the horizontal rolls; and that as the bar contacts the vertical rolls 24 the latter will, without any time lag, immediately assume the slightly faster speed of the bar, thereby actuating the overrunning clutch; When the overrunning clutch is idling, the springs II force the pawls 55 backward against the inside rim of the assembled housing members 59 and 5|, transmitting rotation to the vertical rolls 24. When the vertical rolls 24 are sped up through the driving force of the bar, the pawls 55 ar Qreleased, and the driving wheeljl continues to rotate at the lower speed of the motor I8 while the housing members 59 and 5| rotate at the higherspeed of thevertical rolls 24. After the bar has passed through the vertical rolls 24, the latter will automatically decrease in speed until the speeds of the driving and driven parts coincide when the pawl 55 again will wedge against the inside rim of the housing members 59 and 6| and keep the vertical rolls 24 rotating at theconstantidling speed. While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of the present invention,v it will be seen that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for use with a horizontal rolling mill having a housing and a pair of horizontally disposed rolls, comprising a movable horizontal rest bar having a pair of vertically disposed rolls arranged thereon, said vertical rolls being arranged within said-housing in close proximity to the pass between said horizontal rolls, means for adjusting said rolls to any position along said rest bar, means for adjustably attaching said rest bar to said housing, means for driving said vertical rolls, and flexible means interconnecting said driving means with each of said vertical rolls.

2. Apparatus for use with a horizontal rolling mill having a housing and a pair of horizontally disposed rolls, comprising a movable horizontal rest bar having a pair of vertically disposed rolls arranged thereon, said vertical rolls being arranged within said housing in close proximity vto the pass between said horizontal rolls,'means for adjusting said rolls to any position. along said rest bar, means foradjustably attaching said rest bar to said housing, means for driving said vertical rolls, an overrunning clutch device included in said driving means, and flexible means interconnecting said driving means with each of said vertical rolls, said vertical rolls adapted to be driven by the workpiece when the speed thereof is greater than that of said vertical rolls thereby actuating said overruninng clutch.

3. In combination with a horizontal rolling mill comprising a housing having a pair of horizontally disposed rolls therein, a removable horizontal rest bar arranged to one side of said horizontal rolls, a pair of vertical rolls carried by said rest bar and arranged thereon within said housing in close proximity to the pass between said horizontal rolls, means for adjusting said.

vertical rolls on said rest bar laterally along said horizontal rolls, removable means arranged on top of said housing for driving said vertical rolls, and flexible means interconnecting said driving means with each of said vertical rolls.

4. In combination with a horizontal rolling mill comprising a housing having a pair of horizontally disposed rolls therein, a removable horizontal rest bar arranged to one side of said'hori zontal rolls; a pair of vertical rolls carried bysaid rest bar and arranged thereon within said housing in close proximity to the pass between said horizontal rolls, means for adjusting said horizontal rolls will drive said vertical rolls, thereby actuating said overrunning clutch.

5. In combination with a horizontal rolling mill comprising a housing having a pair of horizontally disposed rolls therein, a removable horizontally disposed rest bar arranged to one side of said rolls, a pair of vertical rolls carried by said rest bar and arranged thereon within said housing in close proximity to the pass between said horizontal rolls, means for adjusting said rest bar vertically so that the pass between the vertical rolls carried thereby may be adjusted relative to the pass between said horizontal rolls, means for adjusting said vertical rolls on said rest bar laterally along said horizontal rolls, a removable member arranged on top of said housing, means arranged on said removable member for driving said vertical rolls, means for adjusting said driving means on said removable member, an overrunning clutch device included in said driving means,- and flexible means interconnecting said driving means with each of said vertical rolls, said driving means adapted to drive said vertical rolls so that the peripheral speed is less than the peripheral speed of said horizontal rolls whereby the workpiece when delivered from said horizontal rolls will drive said vertical rolls, there- ,by actuating said overrunning clutch.

CHARLES S. RAMSAY. 

